Tempered
by egonz
Summary: "Is he nice?" Bella asked. "No. Not really." I admitted truthfully with a smile on my face. "Oh my god. You guys are soulmates." Paul/OC. Bella has a younger sister.
1. Chapter 1

After being suffocated with hugs and kisses from my mother I was finally able to detach myself from her maternal affection.

"Text me as soon as you're with your father," she began. "And call me once you're settled."

Phil, my step dad, rolled his eyes behind her making me grin. I was gonna miss him too. We bonded through our sarcastic nature and we'd watch t.v together Sunday mornings while my mom overslept.

"And dress warm, it's winter and it's very cold over there. I put some money in your bag so you can buy some good pair of snow boots when you're there and-"

"She's gonna miss her flight." Phil interrupted while handing me my bags.

"Tell your sister and Charlie I said hi." She gave Phil a playful stink eye. They made a good couple together.

Between me and my sister, Bella resembled our mother the most. She had her beauty- the heart shaped face, the pretty smile, the brown hair that always seemed to be neatly tamed. Even her eyes were a nice chocolate brown color.

I was only a year younger than her, making me 16. I looked more like Charlie. My hair was black and I wasn't blessed with my sister's slim and tall built. I was short and my legs were a little too thick for my liking. My eyes were also a darker brown and I had a squarer face. But hey, at least I had amazing eyebrows.

Bella and I had always been close. Having to deal with the burden of divorced parents it brought a tight bond between us. Not to mention we didn't argue much. Her personality was too unassertive to be angry over dumb things like me borrowing her clothes without asking. Not that I do often, considering her bland style of fashion. It was something I had always tried to fix which resulted in random makeovers she would dismiss the day after.

I played the role of being the annoying little sister very well. Especially with her constant clumsiness. When she was hospitalized for falling out of a window last spring, she received an endless amount of teasing from me and Phil. I even had the balls to cover every window of Charlie's house with cardboard as a joke. He was slightly annoyed at that but ended up laughing it off before making me tear them all down. I still left the one in her room though. That girl is a walking hazard.

"Have a safe flight, kid." Phil ruffled my hair affectionately, adding more volume to my already chaotic mane. Thanks.

My mother pulled me into yet another hug and I caught the eyes of one taunting Phil. He was mocking me.

If I was gonna be suffocated and publicly embarrassed by my mother he was going down with me. I pulled him into our hug with one tug of his flannel, causing him to tumble on top of us and we became a corny hugging trio of embarrassment. But this was my family and that made it a little more okay.

Once that was over, Phil forcefully detached my clingy mother away from me long enough to make my way to the bag check area. I looked back one last time and stuck out my tongue to make my mom laugh.

They were off to Florida, to spend the holidays with Phil's family. I haven't seen my sister or dad in a while so my mom supported my decision of going to Forks for my school break. I haven't spent a Christmas or New Years at Forks since I was 4.

-Boarding the plane rn, see ya in a few Bells.

I slid my phone in my back pocket after hitting send and handed the flight attendant my ticket. I rolled my luggage that carried Christmas presents for my loved ones and finally entered the plane.

To my embarrassment I had fallen asleep on a stranger's shoulder. I jerked my head up and wiped the remaining saliva from my face. Offering an apologetic smile and uncomfortable laugh, I quickly grabbed my luggage and exited the plane in embarrassment. After shooting Bella a text of my location I began to play Candy Crush on my phone until I spotted Charlie and my sister.

I probably looked so stupid, speed walking straight to my family and smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.

"Clarissa, how you been kiddo." Charlie gave me an awkward side hug and quickly took my heavy bags, which I was secretly thankful for.

"I drooled on someone's shoulder." Were my first words. Charlie didn't talk much. He was like my sister in that department. I had always found his dry sense of humor amusing though.

"Have you fallen out of any windows lately?" I smirked at Bella and engulfed her in a hug. She hated them which was why I made sure to squeeze her extra hard for all the missed torturing opportunities.

She was smiling just as hard as me but there was a slight sadness in her eyes. Huh, weird.

"Please tell me you aren't turning into mom." She lightly teased and I laughed. Our mom was such a hugger.

"It was bound to happen after you moved away. I have to deal with her overly maternal lovyness for the two of us now. I've been exposed Bells. It's spreading. I'm a disease."

She rolled her eyes at me and I shoved her out the way, a little too hard by accident. "Shotgun!"

"Clarissa!" I heard Charlie scowl me as he helped a staggering Bella keep her balance. Oops.

This was payback for all the "I'm older so I get to sit in the front" arguments. Not today, Satan.

We all got settled in the car and I was extra giddy and bouncy. I turned around every few seconds to laugh at Bella.

"It looks like we're taking you to jail or something." I snickered.

We were riding inside Charlie's police car, and she was in the back behind a metal divider. A mini jail cell.

"Bella I'm so disappointed in you." Charlie went along with it and I brightened at his instigation.

"I told you father, she's out of control!" I mimicked distraught.

"I raised you better than this, young lady."

"Why did you do it Bella?"

"I never expected this from you." My dad continued.

"And all this time I thought that white stuff on your nose was from powdered donuts."

Charlie lost his shit. The car swerved and was filled with his booming laughter. Which in return made me laugh hysterically. From the rear view mirror I saw Bella's pale skin turn a pink shade. Ha! What a loser.

One we arrived to Charlie's house, my bags were placed in my room. The walls were still a creamy beige, and my old white desk was placed in the far right corner. The only new addition to my room were new gray bed covers, they were thicker than the older ones to keep me warm from the ongoing Washington winter.

I began to unpack my things, quickly filling the empty room with my belongings. It mostly consisted of just clothing, hair products, and some makeup. I was staying for just three weeks after all.

Pictures from my last visit were pinned on a board above my desk. Mostly of Bella and Charlie. A lot of postcards too from Phil and my mom, when they traveled for his baseball tournament last year.

A knock on my door startled me. It was Bella, with a shy smile and her sad eyes.

"I'm glad you're here, Rissa." She confessed and hugged her body insecurely.

"Why go to Florida and work on my tan when I can be in rainy Forks and freeze to death."

"It's not that bad," She smiled "And I'm pretty sure the rabid animals will finish you off before you freeze to death."

With perfect timing, it began pouring outside and the house was filled with the sound of rain. Proving my point.

I snorted and she laughed.

Bella looked different. Purple bags hung under her eyes, her skin emitting a pale, sickly color rather than her usual porcelain, poreless glow. Her happiness seemed almost forced as well. Something was upsetting her and it was making me upset. But before I can question her zombie like appearance she vanished back into her own room right across from mines.

My stomach growled in hunger after a couple of more minutes of unpacking so I wandered downstairs to the kitchen to find Charlie already there munching on some strips of bacon.

His eyes widened guiltily as I entered and relief quickly flooded them as soon as he realized that it was just me.

"Don't tell Bella." Couldn't tell if it was a plea or a demand. Either way it was funny how whipped my older sister had him.

I answered his question by plopping down the seat across from him and stealing a bacon strip.

We were both aware of Bella's healthy diet lifestyle. Unlike me and Charlie who often liked to splurge on the taste of greasy foods and sweets.

"What's up with her anyways?" I asked casually.

Charlie let out a sigh and stressfully ran his fingers through his dark hair. "That Cullen boy."

Of course I've had heard all about the infamous Edward from Bella and my mother. How perfect and handsome and loaded he was. She hit the sugarbaby jackpot. The first time I came to Forks he was conveniently on a hiking trip with his family. And the second time I had the chance to meet the mystery guy was at the hospital after Bella's accident. He had supposedly been occupied with some family issues and then banned from the house under Charlie's orders. So I never did get a chance to meet him in person.

"He just dumped her And left town with his whole family. And Bella's been moping around ever since. She even has nightmares. Screaming in the middle of the night like a freaking horror movie." He grunted the last part. But I know he was just hiding his concern with false annoyance.

And suddenly I was angry. Angry at Edward for leaving her. And angry at Bella for letting one guy make her so miserable. Like no, when a guy breaks your heart you're supposed to watch sad romance movies and eat a pint of ice cream. And then have a bad bitch phase where you dye your hair and change your wardrobe. Not have night terrors and become mentally crippled. Or maybe I was watching Legally Blonde too much.

"She can't put her whole life on hold for a guy." I said and Charlie just nodded in agreement.

I hope he was thinking about punching Edward in the face like I was. I reached his plate for another bacon strip but his hand slapped mine. I crossed my arms and glared at him.

* * *

The next morning I woke up to Bella poking me on the cheek.

"It's noon." She uselessly informed me.

I glared at her and closed my eyes again, rolling over to the other side as repercussion for the disturbance. She pulled my pillow from under my head and threw it on the floor. I groaned in protest and tried to kick her off my bed. My mission was unsuccessful.

"I'll let you paint my nails."

My eyes blinked awake and I stared at her. She was sitting on the edge of my bed, biting her lip nervously. She wanted to talk about something, that was obvious.

"I'm gonna paint them neon green and you can't say shit." I warned, still grumpy from being woken up from my sleep.

She cringed at the thought of it but did not complain. Fun fact: I suck at painting nails.

"Edward and I broke up." And just like that she explained all the details of their break up as I carelessly coated her nails with a tacky green color. I had heard most of the story from my mom, but Bella provided some details I wasn't aware of. So I listened tentatively.

"He ditched you in the middle of the woods! What if you had gotten eaten by a bear. Or got murdered by a serial killer or-"

"It wasn't exactly the middle of the woods." She interrupted. "It was right behind the house but I just tried following him and got lost."

I couldn't help but snort. Leave it to her to get lost in the wilderness when she was just a few steps away from our backyard.

"I never liked him." I admitted.

I had gotten frustrated from hearing the douchebag move Edward pulled that I began to angrily stab the painting brush on her nails.

"You never like anybody." She rolled her eyes. "And you're not even trying anymore, what is this?" She pulled her hand back and wiggled her neon green fingers at my face.

"It's art." I added a quick swipe of green on the middle of her hand to finish my handy work.

"So did you guys... ya know." I made an 'O' with one hand and slowly inserted my index finger inside.

"Clarissa!" She screeched and turned a deep red. She shoved me, getting some of the paint on the shirt I was wearing.

"Ha! Jokes on you, this is actually yours." I received a dark glare.

"And to answer your question, no. We never... had intercourse."

I snorted. "Intercourse? What are you, seventy?"

"Shut up."

The rest of our morning consisted of me verbally bashing Edward and Bella being way too nice to actually say anything against him. The conversation quickly changed to the truck Charlie had gotten for her on her first visit back to Forks.

"I wanna see it!" I demanded and got up from my bed, tugging my Batman boxers into place.

It had finally stopped raining so I quickly slipped on a pair of Charlie's boots which fit ridiculously large on me. I had no need to invest in a pair of good winter boots considering I lived in Florida and it was always an 80 degree kinda day.

"Where is it?" I asked, stumbling out the house.

"Right there." She pointed at a rusty monstrosity sitting in Charlie's driveway and I winced.

"You mean behind that heap of metal?"

Bella glared at me. "Don't talk to her that way. She's been through a lot." She affectionately rubbed the hood.

"She looks like she's been through a garbage disposal." She slapped my arm.

"Bella. You had a rich guy fall in love with you and you couldn't get him to buy you a car?" I exclaimed. "Should of been like- hey, remember that time you threw me out a window?"

Bella's mouth opened and closed, not knowing what to say. She finally settled with a "He didn't throw me out the window! We got into an argument and I was so angry I tripped down the stairs!"

"Details. Details."

"You're unbelievable."

"I'm gonna start a rumor. It's a small town."

"Stop."

"Remember that one scene from Mean Girls where the guy was like I'm voting for Regina George because she got hit by a bus. Well I'm gonna have these losers voting for you because you got pushed out a window."

"Clarissa-"

"Bella you're gonna become homecoming queen!" I grabbed her arm and twirled her around.

I forgot how physically inept she was because before I knew it she was ungraciously tripping over her own two feet.

"Feed me." I demanded, now feeling really hungry. I started to feel the cold wind hitting my legs and wanted to go back inside.

"I don't know how to deal with you." She rolled her eyes and walked inside the house with me following close behind.

After having five pancakes and two glasses of orange juice I was full and ready to stay in bed all day and do nothing. Living my winter break to the fullest.

Two hours later I was on my bed watching YouTube videos on Bella's laptop. There wasn't much to do in this town. I did pack my camera but it was raining so I wasn't in the mood to be outside. Plus, I didn't have any water resistant shoes and I doubted my sneakers will keep me warm. So exploring the neighborhood wasn't an option.

"I'm going to Jake's house right now to work on some stuff." Bella announced five Buzzfeed videos later.

"Who's Jake? Your rebound?" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.

Bella looked completely mortified. "No. He's your age. And you know him too. Jacob Black."

Yes. Because repeating his name twice will help me remember the kid.

"We used to play together when we were little."

"You mean the little boy who would always want to play house and have you and him be mommy and daddy?" I teased, now remembering the face of five year old native boy with a missing front tooth.

Bella flushed in embarrassment. Jake and I used to get in a ton of trouble, mostly because of my bad influence. And I think most of the time he was just trying to get on my good side to satisfy Bella.

The Bella feels are strong.

"Well, I was wondering if you want to come with me. He really wants to see you again." She played with her car keys awkwardly.

"Sure." I peeled off my Batman boxers before Bella had the chance to leave my room. See me in my hot pink underwear glory.

I threw on a pair of clean jeans and a light grey hoodie. I added my teal rain coat since there was a light drizzle outside.

"I'm ready!" I announced and bursted into Bella's room, the doorknob hitting the wall loudly. Oops.

"Shoes." She commented while looking down at my socks. "You can borrow a pair of my boots until you go shopping for some."

After rummaging through her closet, she pulled out a pair of black rain boots which were a few sizes too big. I had small feet. I was a small person in general, barely over 5'3.

I decided to glare in envy at Bell's tall legs as I followed her down the stairs and out the house. I had always found her prettier, and the majority of the guys we've encountered thought so too. Her creamy white skin, slim body, and small face turned a lot of heads. And not to mention she was the nicer one out of the two of us.

"Be nice." She warned, as if reading my thoughts.

I grinned. "No promises."

She gave me an exasperated look and I climbed on the passenger seat. Literally. Bella's truck was so unnecessary tall and I had short legs.

It took her three times to actually start the car. The engine spluttered to life, releasing a loud groan that shook the whole vehicle. We're gonna die.

"Shut up." She snapped before I could voice my thoughts.

I held in a grin and settled for looking out the window as the car began to move. Forks was really pretty. With its endless fields of greenery, something straight out of a National Geographic magazine. The cloudy weather gave it an eerie vibe I had always found intriguing.

Unlike Bella, I enjoyed gloomy weather. Another reason why I decided against going to Florida with mom and Phil. That and Phil's mother was well known for cheek pinching at family get togethers. No thankyou.

"Where's the radio?" I asked and noticed a huge empty hole where it should be. There were signs of a forced removal around the vacant slot. Wires were exposed and slight claw marks were evident.

"Umm.. it broke." She was a horrible liar but I decided not to press on the subject.

I pulled out my phone and raised the volume as high as I could. An Eminem song filled the car.

Time to show my insane rapping skills. I had made it my goal to memorize the lyrics of 'Lose Yourself' a few summers ago. As you can tell I didn't have much of a social life.

Bella looked at me bemused at my dramatic head bumping and random gang signs I threw up.

"That's a peace sign Rissa, that's not very gangster of you." She teased.

"His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy." I rapped. "There's vomit on his sweater, mom's spaghetti!"

The song came to an end and we laughed, a comfortable silence filling the car.

"When did you become such a hood rat?" Bella asked.

That's it, I was done. Bella saying the words hoodrat did it for me. I was tearing up from laughing so hard and my stomach began to tighten painfully.

I let out a breathless scream to try to relieve the pain. "I'm dying!"

I heard Bella laugh at my misery. What a bitch.

By the time that was over, we had reached the infamous Jacob Black's house. I was giddy and in a good mood, and I could tell Bella was too.

"Bells!" I heard someone call out.

A medium built guy with long hair jogged to us, a pearly white smile directed straight at my sister.

Oh yes. The Bella feels.

To my surprise he lifted her up in a bear hug which made her giggle. Whaaat? My conservative older sister was letting a guy hug her.

I decided I actually liked Jacob. He played a nice distraction from Edward from as far as I can tell. And Bella seemed to be comfortable with him. Plus he was sorta cute and he had a nice smile.

"This is my little sister, Clarissa. She's your age now." She introduced me.

Real subtle Bells. Trying to make it clear that Jacob was in fact younger than her. Friend zoned. Ouch.

Jacob didn't seem to notice the light jab because he greeted me with a goofy grin which I couldn't help but return.

"We used to throw mud pies at my older sister." Were his first words. And from there on I knew I instantly liked him.

"I remember that!" I exclaimed happily. "And Billy would always yell at you for it."

He frowned at that memory. "Because you would always put the whole blame on me before we even got caught!"

I laughed at his hurt expression. I managed a quick glance at Bella and she seemed to enjoy our bonding.

"What do you guys usually do together?" I asked, making conversation.

This quickly lead to a tour of Jacob's garage and I was introduced to the motorcycles they were fixing together. Well that Jacob was fixing. Bella normally just chilled and watched the young mechanic do his thing. Which was good because Bella plus sharp tools equals walking hazard.

"What are you gonna do with these after you're done fixing them?" I asked curiously.

"I'm teaching Bella how to ride one." Jacob answered with a hopeful look directed at my sister.

"Bet it's not the only thing he wants you to ride." I snickered.

Bella elbowed my ribs and flushed, throwing a mortified look in Jacob's direction. He seemed perfectly oblivious to my comment, his focus being on the bike in front of him.

I smiled innocently at her.

Maybe this vacation wouldn't be so boring after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Most of my break consisted of being down in La Push, in a small garage with Jacob and my sister. I was down to day 4, and we were now in said place.

"How is iron man better than Batman?" Quil asked for the hundredth time.

Embry released a frustrated groan. "Because Batman's just some rich, angsty guy in a suit!"

"That's exactly what iron man is!"

The pair ranted back and forth for a while.

I was introduced to the two boys on the second day I had visited the Black's residence. They were endlessly entertaining and I instantly took a liking to them.

"Iron man actually built his suit, making him better than Batman. Boom." I decided to squeeze in my input.

Quil looked at me with pure betrayal while Embry gave him a cocky smirk. "Told ya!"

"Will you nerds shut up?" Jacob snapped, but his smile revealed his amusement. "And don't try to help around here too much, Mel."

I gave him a cheeky grin from my comfortable spot on the hood of a half built car.

"I'm just here for moral support and comic relief."

Jacob gave me a weary look.

Night started to creep in and Bella decided to head home to get a head start in dinner. God bless this girl and her cooking skills. If it weren't for her me and Charlie would probably be living off of Ramen and his weekend catch of fish. And I hate fish.

Tonight's dinner was filled with light conversation on the weather, and hikers going missing in the woods. Creepy.

I had volunteered to wash the dishes like most nights, and headed up to my room to relax.

I was silently dreading going back to Jacksonville and leaving Charlie and Bella. My sister was looking much better since my arrival. I like to think it's because of my charming personality and Jacob's good looks. She seemed to smile more and the light glow in her skin was slowly returning. It made me happy.

I was in my room, reading some emails on Bella's laptop she had let me borrow when I heard it.

It was a scream. Like someone was being brutally murdered. My body froze in shock while my mind processed exactly who's scream it was.

Bella!

I was half way out my door when I remembered my hidden baseball bat I had kept in the bottom of my closet. The tree branches hitting my bedroom window used to really freak me out when I was little, so I kept it there just in case.

I burst into her room, looking around for the intruder who was hurting my sister but just found a desk, bookshelves, and- wait is that _my_ shirt?

"Edward!" The screaming was coming from Bella's sleeping corner.

I stayed frozen in place as I watched her thrash around her bed in what looked like pain. Her small bony fingers clung to the bed sheets and her toes curled in. There was rapid eye movement from her closed lids.

She was having a nightmare.

"Bella, sweetheart. Wake up" Charlie soothed, gently shaking her shoulders. Huh, when had he come in.

She gasped awake, and her wild eyes looked frantically around the room. They locked into mine briefly before she looked away quickly. As if shamed.

Her face was wet with tears. She caught her breath as Charlie rubbed small circles on her back. A few quiet minutes passed by as her sobs seemed to subdue.

I wasn't aware that I was still hovering over her bed with my weapon still ready to swing.

"A bat, seriously? You don't even play baseball." Bella said humorously, trying to ease the tension in the room.

I let out a dry laugh, suddenly feeling rather awkward. How are you supposed to react after seeing your sister like that? I thought she was getting better, I didn't know it was this bad.

"I thought it was a murderer." I felt stupid as soon as those words left my mouth.

Charlie's mouth twitched. "Next time leave the criminal fighting, to me." He placed a heavy hand on top of my head. "You know. The guy with the gun."

After Bella's episode I didn't get much sleep that night and the next day I had woken up to an empty house. It was rather eerie. And quiet. Too quiet.

I dialed Bella's number and she picked up after the first ring. Odd considering she never seemed to pick up her phone so I was used to being sent to voicemail. I was relieved because I small part of me assumed she was trying to avoid me.

"Hey Be-"

"Clingy much?"

It took me a second to register the male whose voice I had just heard and I smiled.

"We agreed of shared custody Mr. Black."

I heard them both struggle for the phone. "Clarissa! Im not a child. You and Jacob are the kids here."

"Ha! You just got friendzoned."

I could feel Jacobs glare through the phone and I could almost physically see Bella's blush. So predictable.

"So what the hell am I supposed to do?" I changed the topic to spare their dignity.

"Well I tried waking you up to join us but you just kicked your leg at me. Missed. And went straight back to sleep."

I laughed at the unrecalled memory. I believe it happened though.

"I left you my car for you to drive up here once you wake up."

A huge grin filled my face. I'm pretty sure I looked straight up possessed so I was glad I was alone.

"Huge mistake, sister."

I hung up before Bella could threaten me. I was a horrible driver. And the funny thing is that I loved to drive! The look of panic in the passenger side. The look of panic on the pedestrian side. Its hilarious.

I heard my phone ring and I automatically sent it to voicemail. Not today Satan.

I slipped on a pair of Bella's boots, threw on one of Charlie's hoodies, and added a parka Bells had outgrown, not minding that I probably looked like a crackhead.

A crackhead who drives.

Waiting for the car to heat up totally crashed my drivers high. Now I was just cold and mad.

And where the hell did Jacob live again? Man I have got to pay more attention on our drives. I bet I can figure it out, it's a small ass town anyways.

Once I regained feeling back in my toes I deemed it warm enough to take the car out of the driveway and stomped on the gas.

Woooo.

The farther I drove the less familiar the streets looked and my reckless driving soon turned to me taking two minutes on deciding if I should go left or right.

Maybe I should just call Bella.

Or maybe I should go to the beach! I drove straight towards the "First Beach" sign I had just spotted. Bella and Jacob forgotten.

Well it did seem like a great idea from inside the pick up truck. But as soon as I stepped outside a gust of wind slapped my face and I began having second thoughts. Now my nose was running and my eyes were watering from the brisk temperature. How attractive.

I put my hood on to salvage my ears from the cold and wrapped my arms around myself for warmth. I've never been to the beach in winter before.

It was oddly beautiful. There was no one in sight, just the sound of waves gently crashing on the shore. Not even birds.

The ocean looked infinite like it always does. But there were stark differences. It was breathtaking. A natural limestone arch hovered confidently over the sea. Sharp, jarred rock formations peeked from the ocean floor, creating an tense aesthetic.

I walked along the shore, enjoying the silence. It was calming. Maybe it was because it was so cold I could barely feel anything. I didn't feel all the emotions and reckless thoughts that harbored in my brain.

All my problems just seemed so small now and it felt nice. Not to men- _holy shit_ are those guys jumping in the water.

I couldn't help but stare at the tan body mass diving straight down the black freezing waters. Voluntarily. I didn't know I was holding my breath until their head resurfaced from the choppy waves and started swimming to shore.

I also didn't know my legs had subconsciously taken me to this strangers direction until I was face to face with him.

He was undeniably handsome. And probably stupid. He shared the same distinct features as the other Natives on the Reservation. Copper skin, dark hair, brown eyes, strong jawline. His hair was cut short though, unlike his Quileute relatives.

"Can I help you?" He sounded annoyed and didn't even bother to look at me. I decided to egg this on. Entertainment.

"I'll give you a 7 for the dive. Would of been a 10 if you belly flopped."

I saw the corner of his lip twitch. From annoyance or amusement I couldn't tell.

"You wanna give it a try?"

It wasn't an invitation but more of a threat. I couldn't help but smirk at his attitude. Maybe I had a thing for assholes.

"I'm more of an observer."

"Well people usually _observe _from af-" His words were cut short once he made eye contact with me.

I blinked. And I blinked again. But he was still just staring at me. His face seemed to relax, the crinkles on his forehead disappeared. His mouth was slightly opened and his pupils dilated. It was… weird.

"What? Runny nose not my look?" I decided to break the stiff silence, wiping my nose with the sleeve of my jacket.

He closed his mouth and I gave him a minute to absorb my words. I could no longer take the silence and started to feel anxious.

"Is it cold?" That was a stupid question. "That's a stupid question. Obviously the waters cold. It's winter. Duh. But how are you not cold? Unless you really are cold and you're just really good at hiding it." I was rambling.

His lips finally moved to form a response but movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention.

Another boy had thrown himself off the same cliff. Only he landed rather awkwardly into the water with an unnaturally loud splash and I winced. That's gotta hurt.

"4"

"... what?" I was puzzled by the random number and looked up at my companion. His eyes never left his friend who was now swimming towards us and it finally clicked.

"I'll give him a 6. For sympathy points." I finally replied again.

He was staring at me again, making me feel awkward. Was this a flattering angle? Did my nose look too big? Was my hair messy?

I risked a glance at his direction and our eyes locked again. It was unnerving. It felt too intimate and just plain _weird. _

"Paul! Did you see that?!" His friend had finally reached our spot on the shore. "I was like BAM. And then I was like SPLASH." he threw his arms around in exaggeration.

A couple more sound effects later and he smiled down at me and grinned at who I assumed to be his friend. I know his name now at least. Paul.

While Paul had more ruggedly handsome features and was taller, his friend had a boyish smile and a rounder face. Still just as handsome though.

"Hi. I'm Embry, nice to meet you" He extended his hand in greeting.

Wow, he was nicer too.

"Clarissa." I shook his hand and my eyes bulged at how warm he was. Geez this guy is burning up.

"Dude, you're really hot."

"Yeah. You think so?" He gave me a cocky smile, misinterpreting my words.

I laughed and shook my head.

"You two know each other?" Embry asked and I shook my head.

"Nah. I just saw Paul jump and I became curious." I saw his head turn at the mention of his name. "You guys live dangerously."

Embry seem to laugh at that and rubbed the back of his neck in an attractive way. "Sam's coming."

I was confused at his words until I followed his eye line and noticed a third man jumping off the same cliff.

He landed gracefully, clearly having more experience than these two. I held my breath again until I saw his tiny head safely resurface from the freezing waters.

"That's a 10." I mumbled.

Embry began to violently slam the palm of his hand on his left ear, tilting his head to the side. He shook his head and I took a step back when I felt droplets of water land on my boots. I mean, Bella's boots. Oops.

There was an awkward silence while Embry got the last bit of water from his ears and Paul… well I didn't know what Paul was doing but I didn't want to have another stare off with him so I didn't bother to look.

"Well, it was nice meeting you guys. Thanks for the adrenaline rush." I waved and began to turn away.

"You didn't even get in the water." I heard Paul scoff.

"You didn't even get a perfect diving score." I retorted, sending him a smirk. This time our eye contact wasn't so intense.

I heard Embry laugh before being punched in the arm. "Ow!"

I was halfway back to Bella's heap of metal when I heard running from behind me. I looked back and to my surprise it was Paul. He had thrown on a light sweater and water droplets ran down his chest. I resisted the urge to not follow their trail.

"Wanna catch a movie tomorrow?"

I stared at him in confusion. First he was kind of an asshole to me, then he wouldn't stop staring at me and now he's asking me out?

"Are you trying to seduce me into giving you a higher diving score?"

"You caught me." He lifted his hands up in surrender.

"Well in that case. I also accept bribery."

He smirked and it made me feel warm. Weird since it was probably 20 degrees outside. I didn't hate it though and just went along with the butterflies in my stomach.

"Give me your phone." He lightly ordered and I did.

It seemed almost comical how tiny my phone looked compared to his giant hands. He didn't even struggle to type his number in. I'm impressed.

"Here. Text me." And he took off, disappearing into the distance.


	3. Chapter 3

Once I arrived at Jacob's garage- after getting lost a few more times- I threw the car keys at Bella who predictably dropped them on the floor with an alarmed squeal.

"Ya girl got herself a date." I hopped on top of an old car that had been abandoned in the middle of the garage since my arrival.

Jacob gave me a funny look and Bella smiled.

"Who would wanna do that?"

"That's great!"

I'll let you guess who said what. My phone vibrated, notifying me of a text. The name 'Paul' appeared on my screen and I entered my password to reveal the message.

\- Does catching a movie count as a bribery?

I smiled down at my screen and Jacob snatched my source of happiness from my fingers. He read the text out loud while I clawed at his arm in a desperate attempt to retrieve my phone back. Rude!

"Bribery? Your sexting skills are lame." He gave me back my cell.

"You trying to get out the friendzone is lame." Oops.

I saw Jacob wince a little and I instantly regretted it. My bad. Sometimes I just say things before actually thinking them through. Jacob's hurt expression didn't exactly ease my conscious.

"If you need sexting lessons, I'll gladly volunteer." I winked at him to lighten the mood.

Jacob flushed and I heard Bella choke from her seat on the corner. I snickered at their priceless reactions. Jacob quickly directed his attention back to fixing the bikes to avoid any further teasing.

"So who is he?" Bella changed the subject.

"Some guy from the reservation."

That peaked Jacob's interest and I heard him stop fumbling with his tools. "What's his name?"

"None of your business." I stuck my tongue out at him and he threw a dirty rag at me, hitting me right across the face before I could dodge it. Okay I deserved that. It still didn't stop me from retributing and throwing it back at him.

"Is he nice?" Bella asked.

"No. Not really." I admitted truthfully with a smile on my face.

"Oh my god. You guys are soulmates."

"Yeah, you're kind of an asshole." Jacob admitted.

"I am what I eat." He gave me a mortified look and I burst out laughing.

We spent the rest of the afternoon, talking and laughing until it was time to head home. The sun was beginning to set and dinner was waiting, Tonight we were having leftovers from our visit to the diner the other day. I had replied to Paul's text and we agreed he'd pick me up at six. Half an hour before Charlie got home so there would be no overlap, saving me from one uncomfortable interaction.

So here I was, sitting on my bed and biting my lip nervously while going over my limited wardrobe choices. Why did I leave that cute top in Jacksonville?

"What are you doing?" I jumped at Bella's unannounced entrance.

"I don't know what to wear for tomorrow." I admitted, feeling silly that I was stressing over something so simple.

"Well I'd let you borrow something but I'm-" She bunny quoted this part, "Fashionably challenged."

She sat next to me and sighed, picking up a random article of clothing. "This is nice."

I stared at the oversized band tee. "Those are my pjs."

Bella looked embarrassed. "Sorry."

I shrugged in response and rested my head on her lap. She began untangling my hair with her gentle fingers. I had missed this. I'd never admit it to anyone but I was really hurt when Bella made the decision of staying in Forks with Charlie. It felt like she abandoned us, but now I understood. Our dad needed the company and care. It hurt just thinking about him living in this giant, empty house full of the memories from his ex-wife and children. I understood now but I missed her, and she didn't really visit often.

I had almost fallen asleep when we heard Charlie enter the house. At least we finally got to eat.

After dinner the three of us gathered around the TV in the living room and a football game was put on. Eventually I actually fell asleep which takes us to now, me alone on the sofa staring at the ceiling.

I frowned. I remember the good old days where I was carried to my room when ever I passed out in random places. I guess I was too old for that now. I stretched my limbs and mumbled a greeting to my sister who was eating cereal in the kitchen. I need a shower. A hot shower.

Thirty five minutes later and I stepped out of the bathroom with wet hair and in a towel. I almost tackled Bella in the hallway because I was running to escape the cold. This house was freezing! I closed the door of my room and turned on my heater, childishly hunching over it to absorb as much warmth as possible. My phone buzzed.

\- It's supposed to be really cold. Dress warm.

I stared at Paul's message for a few seconds before typing my response with a mischievous beam.

\- Damn. There goes my booty shorts.

I laughed when I saw the three dots, letting me know that he was typing. They disappeared and appeared again. Three times.

I giggled, knowing I had left him speechless and continued on with blow drying my hair. I began to feel nervous. Why would such an attractive guy ask me out? And how old was he anyways? Now that I think of it, he looked like he was twenty. Oh god, what if he thinks I'm like eighteen or something. I'm only sixteen. I'm jailbait!

I decided on watching some TV and served myself a bowl of cereal. I needed a distraction from my anxiety. It kinda worked. Bob's Burgers is magical like that. Before I knew it, it was half an hour before Paul was supposed to be here and I began to get dressed.

I settled with some jeans, and a burgundy turtleneck sweater. Bella's boots didn't exactly go with the outfit so I sacrificed them for some converse. I was probably gonna regret that later.

I applied some lipgloss and small hoops to spice things up. I didn't exactly make a great first impression. I had on a baggy hoodie and dirty sweats, so I made the decision to step up my game a little. I'm a lady goddamnit.

I guess I had zoned out while reapplying my lipgloss because Bella came in to tell me the doorbell had rung. Oh crap! Who even uses the doorbell anymore?! Just send a text. I will never understand these small town boys. I threw on a jacket and a warm hat, and bolted down the stairs. I missed the last step and ended up Hulk stomping the ground before finally standing behind the front door. I took a few seconds to get my shit together while my hand lingered on the doorknob. Be cool.

"Hi." I said breathlessly. Those stairs were no joke. Or maybe it was how pretty he looked, leaning against my door frame. I was slightly disappointed he was wearing a shirt this time.

"Hey." He smirked at me and I felt that warm feeling in my stomach again. Calm down, Clarissa. It's too soon for butterflies. "Do you want me to introduce myself to your dad or?"

"No!" That sounded harsh. "I mean. He's not home yet so there's really no need."

He seemed to accept my excuse and lead me to his car. It was a black pickup truck, a model a lot of the locals from this town tended to have. He opened the car door for me, lightly clearing his throat. He seemed a little uncomfortable, maybe because being chivalrous was a new thing for him. I appreciated the gesture anyways.

I watched him walk to his side of the door, admiring the nice and toned view. There was an awkward silence between us while we drove down an unfamiliar street and I started to second guess leaving my house at all. He didn't seem like the confident guy who was on my porch just a couple of minutes ago. Or the snarky guy who I met at the beach yesterday.

"So uhh." He finally broke the silence.

"You're not gonna ask me my favorite color are you?"

He laughed and his posture seemed to immediately relax. He was no longer gripping the wheel as tightly as before. "So have you always lived in Forks?"

"No. I'm actually just visiting my dad and sister for winter break. I haven't actually lived here since I was five."

He frowned. "So you're leaving in three weeks?" He clutched the steering wheel harder than before, his jaw clenching. I do not wish to be his teeth right now. Or his dentist.

"That's the plan. How old are you?" I quickly changed the subject. I took advantage of his focus on the road to observe his facial features. He seemed a lot older than me, especially when he was angry.

"Seventeen." Oh. "You?"

"Sixteen. You're pretty big for a seventeen year old."

"That's what she said." Was his childish reply. I smirked, maybe this date wouldn't be so bad after all.

The rest of the ride was filled with a more comfortable silence until we arrived in front of- a drive in theater. I couldn't help but feel excited and I beamed up at him.

"A drive in theater?! I've always wanted to go to one but no one would ever take me!"

Paul glanced over at me. "Really? I always thought it was kinda dorky but Embry suggested it."

I was gonna object to his dork comment but we pulled up next to the ticket booth and Paul rolled down his side of the window. "Two tickets." He pulled some money from his wallet and handed it to the girl behind the window.

"Here's your change, sir. You can park wherever you'd like and here's the audio." She handed him a small black box I assumed was a speaker. "Enjoy your movie!"

"First of all, it's not dorky. Second of all-"

"It's pretty dorky."

"Well maybe I should be here with Embry instead of you then." I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"I will kick you out this car." He threatened, pointing a giant finger at me. His smirk dropped however when a car cut in front of us, causing him to stomp on the breaks. The car lurched forward abruptly and the guy who cut us off stole our spot. "Shit!" He cursed.

Paul's hands began to tremble as he gripped the steering wheel. I could tell that poor wheel had suffered a lot of road rage abuse.

"You kind of have a temper, you know that?" I teased.

"No I don't!"

"There it is." I sang and gave him a cheeky smile. That seemed to calm him down and he smiled back at me. It wasn't one of his usual smirks, this one was more genuine. Damn he had a nice smile and it made him look his actual age. Oh look, the butterflies are back.

"What movie are we watching anyways?"

"Home Alone. Is that okay?"

"How festive of you. Didn't take you for a Christmas kinda guy." He turned his head the other direction to get a good parking angle. "More of a grinch kinda guy." The car stopped abruptly and I laughed.

"You're mean."

I bit my lip to hold in my giggles as he continued on with parking the car. It was fun teasing him. I was momentarily distracted by the giant screen projector when everything went pitch black. He was so quick, I didn't even physically see him pull down my hat to cover my eyes.

"Hey!" I slapped his hand away and took off my beanie to avoid any further harassment.

Paul laughed at me as a fixed my hectic hair. Asshole. A couple of strands got stuck on my lipgloss and I glared at him as I pulled the hairs out of the sticky substance.

"Hat hair ain't your look." Paul commented.

I tried to find something wrong with him to bully him back but found nothing. He looked dumb hot in his black tee and brown leather jacket. Screw you and your genes.

"Almost flung me out the window there, Wreck it Ralph." I snidded.

His cocky smirked dropped instantly.

"Shhhh!" I shushed him before he could give a snarky reply. "The movie is starting."

I looked curiously at him as he pulled out a paper bag from under my feet. I didn't even realize that was there the whole time. He dumped its contents between us. Chips, candy, and other snacks filled up the gap between us and I felt my mouth begin to salivate.

"Now this," I grabbed a slim Jim, "Is bribery."

"Not bad, huh? I would wanna go on a date with _myself._"

The movie began and the car was filled with munching. I could barely hear the actual movie through the chips I was eating but I didn't mind. I sneaked a glance at Paul, who shoved an entire twinky in his mouth. Chewed twice. And then swallowed. He turned to me and gave me a wink as if I had not just witnessed his gluttony.

xx

Once Paul had dropped me home I had a huge grin on my face when I stepped inside my house.

"Why so happy kiddo?" Charlie asked skeptically. Damn, I was caught.

He was sitting in his recliner chair, a beer in his hand and a nature documentary playing on the TV. I couldn't help but chuckle at the cliche aspect of it all.

"Because I'm home with my favorite dad in the whole world." I smiled cheekily.

"I'm your only dad." He deadpanned.

I kissed his cheek and bolted up the stairs and into my room before any further questions were asked. Charlie wasn't really the nosey type at all, which I appreciated. I still didn't want to risk it.

My ringtone echoed in my room and I quickly pulled out my phone from my back pocket and threw myself on my bed. It was too soon for Paul to call me. I stared at the familiar caller ID.

"Hello, mother." I lazily drawled out and kicked my sneakers off. They hit my floor with a lifeless thud.

"Clarissa! I miss you so much. I'm about to blow my brains out dealing with Phil's family." I could picture her pulling her hair in desperation. "But how are things over there?"

"They're really good." I answered honestly. "Bella introduced me to her friends and we just hang out sometimes."

"Wow. The tables have turnt."

I smiled. It was true. I was usually the one dragging Bella's antisocial ass out the house and introducing her to my friends. Which resulted in my guy friends hitting on her and lots of one sided flirting. Something my poor sister sucked at so it always made for an entertaining situation.

"Yeah. She's been getting better. She's still having nightmares though. It kinda freaks me out."

We both talked for another hour about Bella's process, and Christmas which was coming up in a couple of days, and how much we missed our little house in Jacksonville, and then I listened to her complain about Phil's family.

"Well goodnight sweetheart, it's getting late. And Phil's mom is taking us to the aquarium tomorrow morning." She didn't sound very ecstatic about her plans.

"Okay. Don't throw yourself in the shark tank."

"Don't give my any ideas."

And with that she hung up. I stared at the ceiling and couldn't help but replay today's events in my head over and over again.

Paul was… interesting. He had a temper, he liked to joke around a lot, and he didn't really share a lot of information about his personal life. I've never met a guy so bluntly honest before either. He was so freaking hot too. His strong jawline, high cheekbones, and blemish free skin deemed him model worthy.

Okay hormones. Relax. But honestly, if I had known his fine ass was hidden in snoozeville Forks I would have visited way more often.

I sneaked into Bella's room and 'borrowed' her laptop while she was in the shower. It wasn't my fault her account was oh so conveniently password free. And it wasn't my fault her emails were on the first tab. And it wasn't my fault I could read so I scrolled through her first couple of sent attachments. Being the younger sister it was a vital instinct to egg on the mystery.

School, Boring. Mom, Boring. Alice, bo- Alice? The name rang a familiar bell and I opened the link. There were several long messages being sent to this Alice chick. There were essay in length being sent to this Alice person. Holy shit, does Bella have a secret lesbian lover?

I skimmed through the first couple of emails until the name Edward popped up a few times.

_Dear Alice,_

_I can't take this anymore. I miss you, all of you. Why did you leave? Why aren't you replying to any of my emails? I've visited your old house over and over again as if all of a sudden you guys will be there. It's empty and cold now, all the memories of you forgotten. As if you guys weren't real. As if I had made it all up. But i know that's not true. I keep having nightmares of Edward leaving me over and over again. It hurts too much. When I was with him, I felt so alive. He was extraordinary, you all are. Thank you for letting me be a part of your world, even if it was just for a second. Alice... if you're reading this can you tell Edward I miss him. I know what we had was real, I'm not delusional. Tell Edward I will always love him and I'm still waiting. I'll die waiting. Anyways, I hope you're reading this and please respond to me. I need an explanation._

_Love always,_

_Bella_

Alice was one of Edward's sisters. The minor detail coming back to me from a conversation I had with Charlie when Bella was hospitalized. I scrolled through the rest of the sent emails. There were twenty seven in total and not a single reply. Oh, Bella. What are you doing?

* * *

**This took a little longer than I intended but I made it longer to make up for it. Clarissa's and Paul's first date :') Let me know your thoughts, comments, reviews, or whatava. I appreciate ya'll. **


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